IV 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 393 

Expressing support for policies to protect and expand Social Security and 

secure its long-term future in a fair and responsible manner. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 29, 2015 

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY (for herself, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. MURPHY of Florida, Mr. 

BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Ms. JUDY

CHU of California, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS

of Illinois, Mr. DEFAZIO, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. DESAULNIER, Mr. 

DEUTCH, Mrs. DINGELL, Ms. EDWARDS, Mr. ELLISON, Ms. ESTY, Mr. 

FARR, Ms. FRANKEL of Florida, Ms. FUDGE, Mr. GRAYSON, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. GUTIE ́RREZ, Ms. HAHN, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. HIGGINS, Mr. 

HONDA, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, 

Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. LEWIS, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mrs. LOWEY, Ms. 

MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

of New York, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MEEKS, Ms. 

MOORE, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. NOLAN, Ms. NORTON, Mr. PALLONE, 

Mr. PETERS, Mr. POCAN, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. RUSH, Ms. LINDA T. 

SA ́NCHEZ of California, Mr. SARBANES, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. TAKAI, Mr. 

TAKANO, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. TONKO, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, 

Mr. VARGAS, Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Ms. WILSON of Florida, and Mr. GARAMENDI) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and 

Means 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for policies to protect and expand Social 

Security and secure its long-term future in a fair and 

responsible manner. 


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•HRES 393 IH 

Whereas the Nation is facing a retirement income crisis with 

millions of hard-working Americans fearing they can 

never retire with dignity and economic independence after 

a lifetime of work; 

Whereas expanding Social Security, which provides guaranteed, lifetime, and inflation-adjusted benefits and is our 

country’s most universal, fair, efficient, and secure source 

of retirement income, is an essential solution to that retirement income crisis; 

Whereas Social Security is the heart of economic security for 

American workers, allowing them to earn comprehensive 

birth-to-death protection against the loss of wages due to 

death, retirement, or disability, in one simple package; 

Whereas for most families, Social Security is the only family 

protection against the loss of income due to the disability 

or death of a worker and is the single largest source of 

retirement income; 

Whereas Social Security’s earned benefits are modest, averaging around $14,600 a year for all beneficiaries and replacing only 40 percent of an average worker’s wages— 

a percentage that is falling and which is lower than the 

comparable benefits provided by most other industrialized 

nations; 

Whereas 2 out of 3 beneficiaries receiving Social Security in 

retirement and 7 out of 10 households receiving Social 

Security as a result of disability rely on those earned benefits for half or more of their income, and 1 out of 3 senior households rely on it for virtually all of their income; 

Whereas more than 1 in 10 of America’s children receive Social Security benefits in their own right or through a 


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•HRES 393 IH 

household member and Social Security lifts 1 million children out of poverty; 

Whereas Social Security provides benefits to more than 9 million veterans, about 4 in 10 of all veterans; 

Whereas Social Security is vitally important to women, who, 

on average, live longer than men, suffer a significant and 

persistent wage gap throughout their working years, and 

are less likely to have employer-sponsored pensions or 

other retirement benefits, and Social Security prevents 

two-thirds of all older women who live alone from falling 

into poverty; 

Whereas Social Security is vitally important to African-Americans, Latinos, and other people of color who disproportionately experience disability and premature death and, 

on average, have lower wages, are less likely to have employer-sponsored pensions or retirement benefits, and disproportionately work in physically demanding jobs—without Social Security, poverty rates among African-American and Latino seniors would nearly triple; 

Whereas Social Security’s benefits total more than $72 billion 

each month and its 59 million beneficiaries tend to spend 

those benefits immediately and locally, thereby supporting the economies of rural, suburban, and urban 

areas alike; 

Whereas Social Security protects all generations and 

strengthens families, providing earned benefits—life insurance, disability insurance, and retirement income—to 

1 in 4 households; 

Whereas Social Security is an earned benefit that Americans 

work hard all their lives to secure for themselves and 

their families; 


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•HRES 393 IH 

Whereas Social Security has always been a secure and reliable source of basic economic security, never a day late 

or a dollar short; 

Whereas although many Americans have seen their wages 

stagnate or decline in recent years, the United States is 

the wealthiest nation in the world at the wealthiest moment in its history and can easily afford to expand Social 

Security benefits if the wealthiest among us are required 

to pay their fair share; 

Whereas expanding Social Security’s protections and providing Americans with greater economic security while securing Social Security’s long-term future is completely 

achievable and can be done fairly and equitably; and 

Whereas the majority of Americans of all ages and in all 

parts of the country believe Social Security is more important than ever and support increasing its modest benefits: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives supports 

2 policies to protect and expand Social Security and secure 

3 its long-term future in a fair and responsible manner. 

Æ 


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